When Epinions announced that its San Francisco Meet & Greet would be held at the Thirsty Bear last November, I took it as an excuse to review another one of San Francisco's hotels. Since this would be an afternoon event, I thought staying in the city that the late San Francisco Chronicle columnist, Herb Caen, nicknamed "Baghdad by the Bay" for a couple of nights would save me the hassle of what I knew would turn into a hectic drive Saturday morning. If I chose a hotel within walking distance, it would also allow me to do some drinking; I'm such a lightweight in how alcohol affects me. And, of course, one of the features I was most interested in was one that was haunted. San Francisco certainly has its fair share of these. One I recently learned of was the Sir Francis Drake. It has the honor of being designated one of the country's historic hotels and what a delight it is for the glimpse it gives visitors of San Francisco night life seven decades ago. While it's easy to see how others may be put off by its age, I was simply dazzled by how much it retained of its original decoration. Even today people still dress up for the glamorous night life it offers at the Harry Denton's Starlight Room on its top floor and fine dining on the lobby-level at Scala's Bistro. It is so Herb "I love the night life" Cain.

The November 1930 issue of Hotel Monthly contained four uncredited pages of text and photos, which were displayed in the lower lobby, that give visitors an idea of how it looked and functioned when it first opened in October 1928. The main entrance had a revolving door. The lobby displayed two murals by W. F. Bergman, depicting scenes from the Drake's life, and a tapestry was draped above the front desk. (Sadly, the murals have been covered by fine upholstered padding and the tapestry has long since disappeared.) The Drake also boasted being the first hotel on "the Pacific Coast" to utilize a Servidor, which was a panel built into the guest doors where staff could deliver items such as drycleaning without disturbing their guests. (As the Drake opened during the midst of the Prohibition, there was probably another motivation for this innovation as well.) The following excerpt gives readers an amusing look at the 1928 high tech it offered:

There is a double radio equipment provided in every guest room. This consists of a loud speaker and two plugs, into one of which may be inserted a cord tip which permits the guest to listen to the remote control program offered by the hotel management; the other offering to the patron, who carries his own traveling radio equipment, the opportunity of tuning in on whatever particular station he may desire. Loud speakers are also placed thruout the public rooms.

During its 75 years of operation, the Drake has been the site of so much colorful activity the hues must have been incredible rich indeed. During the World War II, blocks of rooms were taken over by the U.S. military. In 1954, it was the location of the 12th World Science Fiction Convention, which declared John Campbell its guest of honor, back in the days when only a few hundred members needed to be accommodated. Included among the Drake's more illustrious past clientele are Myrna Loy, Mickey Rooney, Delores Del Rio, Barbara Stanwyck, and Pearl Bailey. The Persian Room was located where Scala's is now and Caen dubbed it "The Snakepit" because "you never heard such hissing or saw such writhing." More recently, MSN named the Drake one of the 10 most haunted hotels in the country* and that was all I had to go on when I decided to stay there.


My Sir Francis Drake experience

About a month or so before the Meet & Greet, I had requested the nights I wanted to stay at the Drake through various travel websites only to be told it had no rooms available. Annoyed, I referred to my various sources for other haunted hotels, yet none in San Francisco had a location as convenient for my purposes as this hotel did. I have a strong suspicion there are many others in that neighborhood have ghosts as well, but this was the only one that I had some confirmation. As the Meet & Greet loomed closer, I tried calling them directly on, ironically, Halloween. As luck would have it, the clerk was able to take my reservation. Not expecting to be successful, I asked what the rate would be and was told $209. Picking up on my hesitation, she quickly added that she could give it to me for $169. We ended up having a friendly chat about other hotels with paranormal activity and she said that the Drake has had people canceling reservations after finding out the place was haunted. She knew little of the hotel's haunting, but dutifully noted my request for the haunted room, saying the front desk clerks may not even know which one it is. She wished me luck in my quest to learn the hotel's stories.

I know what parking is like in this section of San Francisco and noted that the hotel's valet parking was $35 per night. My companion, Russell, was going to drive up to meet me the second night, so that was additional reason not to take my car. I opted to take Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) up to Powell Street and walk the few blocks from there. The women's room at the BART station I had embarked at was out of order, so it was a mad dash for me to the lobby restroom to relieve myself. Although I had to run up and down two or three flights of stairs carrying a couple of bags to reach my destination, I was so jazzed by the 1920s layout of the place. It may have been refurbished, but the decorators kept as much of its period integrity intact as possible. With nature's business out of the way, I went straight to front desk. The lobby was a hub of glamorous activity that Friday night. The doorman, dressed in a beefeater's costume, received the guests who weren't darting past them. People dressed in semi-formal fashions lined up for Scala's and the elevators to the Starlight Room. My reservation was brought up without any problems, yet when the clerk saw my request for the haunted room she had to go ask someone in the back which one it was. Learning it was reported to be room 1422 and finding it unavailable, she gave me the one that was the closest, 1222. I took a couple of keys and headed for the elevators.

On the way to my room, I noticed a line drawing of a beefeater's cap was the emblem logo for the Drake. I was amused to find it printed on the cardkeys. A mail chute could be found next to the elevator, where anyone nearby could watch letters dropping through its glass panel. Once again I found the beefeater's cap above the numbers on the guest room doors. Sadly, these doors were attractively varnished with no apparent secret compartments.

The room was a hoot. As with most historical hotels, the rooms that were considered so large at the time they originally opened are small by today's standards. It may have been small, but it wasn't cramped. It had two full-size beds, a desk and chair, with a combo chest of drawers and TV cabinet on the opposite wall. It was decorated primarily in apple green, yellow, and a muted red. A stripe pattern covered the walls and the carpet had a star print decorated carpet. I rather enjoyed it. A minibar was pushed into the corner. Although I declined the key to the little refrigerator, a basket of snacks, sundries, and even a tourist map were available for an additional charge to the guest.

The bathroom was so small it was cramped. I scrutinized the fixtures trying to determine what was original and what was not. I was delighted at what appeared to be the original tiles adhered in its shower. Other guests may be put off by the little cracks of age, but I thought it was kewl that they didn't go the way of the Servidor. However, these tiles only went waist high. Showers are a rather recent phenomenon in our culture and baths were more common during the 20s. New tiles had been added to heighten the wall's resistance to water. A ridge indicated where they were added on and the decorators did an amazing job matching the original. Although the tub was clean, it showed some wear from age. The toilet bowl looked original, but its placement in the room made it hard to believe that this was the way it was designed to be. There was absolutely no room for my right arm when I used the darn thing, practically forcing me to sit on the pot side-saddle when I needed to use it. The logistics of this design are amusing as long as the guest's stay is short. This position would be intolerable to use over a long period of time. A couple of the small floor tiles were missing in the doorway. That had a poor affect on its appearance, but they did look like original décor. The bathroom was clean for the most part, but I did find a shower cap that a previous guest left hanging on the robe hook. I have a hard time faulting the chambermaid for that one considering how small the room was. Opening and closing that door with someone inside it was a challenge.

Some of the toiletries supplied to the guests were impressive. The shampoo, lotion, and shower gélee were all Aveeno products. Also provided were the obligatory shower cap and shoe mitt. What was really surprising was the small bin of cotton balls available for removing makeup or any other use a guest may have for them. That is something I never ran across in a hotel before. Fortunately, the Drake had a hair dryer bolted to the bathroom wall. That's something one should never take for granted in a historical hotel.

The original heater was built into the wall underneath the window, but obviously not functional. A newer one was installed above it and offered a cooling system as well. I'll have to admit it was a noisy thing, but did the job. Its low-pitch grinding was a steady rhythm that failed to keep me from sleeping. I had no way of knowing whether the windows still permitted the sun's "healthful UV rays" into the room, but they were dirty. This was the tallest building in San Francisco when it first opened, so between the height and the moist weather this city frequently contends with, I have mixed feelings about how immaculate the windows should be. How often do the windows of tall buildings need to be cleaned? It strikes me as a little too dangerous to someone out to do this every day. And how much more do guests want to pay for their rooms? Since the Drake opened, though, skyscrapers have been erected around it, ruining the good views the rooms once had.

As for food, the Drake currently has two options available on the premises. When Russell arrived, we tried to take a table at Scala's, which serves Italian cuisine, but were told the wait was an hour and a half. Since he is diabetic, he needs to eat on a regular schedule, so we ended up walking around Union Square in search of our dinner Saturday evening. This was no hardship, even though all the nicer ones had a long queue. We ended up at Lefty O'Doul's, a haufbrau-style place with a heavy theme on local baseball legends. It was a block or two away and had no wait.

The second choice was room service, which was available from 6:30–10:30 a.m. and 5–10 p.m. We never took advantage of its in-room dining.

The Drake does offer a bed and breakfast package, which I didn't have. A coffee cart is open in the lobby early during the day, although I never took advantage of it. Sear's Fine Foods, which was an excellent breakfast and lunch restaurant, is directly across the street with their "world famous tiny pancakes," and was where Russell and I ate Sunday morning. It closed shortly after our stay for remodeling, but has since reopened and now serves dinner.

The management at the Starlight Room definitely expects people to dress for their establishment. Anything less than cocktail fashion will make a punter stand out poorly amongst its clientele. When Russell and I reached its foyer, I was a embarrassed wearing my peasant top, jeans, and sneakers. Russell, in his usual style, was even more dressed down. Its foyer in front of the elevators was congested with well-coiffed customers, so we were unable to see much of the inside. We heard there was a $10 cover charge for admittance that evening, then left. This was definitely a place for yuppies. On a later visit, I learned that the club's attractive 20-something hostesses wear slinky black evening gowns and the male staff are in black tie. The Starlight Room only serves appetizers and drinks, but frequently has live entertainment.

The Drake is conveniently located to many of San Francisco's most sought-after attractions. Union Square is the main shopping hub for the city. During the Christmas season, the decorations themselves are fun to see, especially the lights that go on after sunset. The Macy's store located there has eight stories and is one of its "flagships." It even has a food court in its cellar. The cable car runs right in front of the Drake. Northbound cars go up to the North Beach-Fisherman's Wharf area. Walking a block or two eastbound on Sutter, people will quickly find the grand entrance to Chinatown at Grant and Bush. Anyone in shape for a little walk, can find the Metreon, a 21st-Century movieplex, on Fourth and Mission a block south of Market. A few blocks to the east is the Civic Center. The Union Square section of San Francisco is crowded with a wide variety of characters. It definitely gives you the feel of a big city. Plaques indicating the Barbary Coast trail can be found along Powell Street.

After spending Saturday walking up and down the inclines of Powell Street, I was exhausted. Russell and I ended up going back to our room to watch television. The next morning we were a little late bugging out for our 11 a.m. check-out time, but the management overlooked the extra 15–20 minutes. With only one additional charge of a phone call, I had no problem with the final bill, signed it off, and returned my cardkeys.


The ghost stuff

It took little time to realize that MSN had outed the Drake. The biggest complaint I had with the Drake was the hard time I had in finding someone to talk to about its history and ghostlore. The best anyone there could do was give me a handout with a brief history on the hotel. Considering it was heavily exploiting its 75th anniversary in its promotion during 2003, one would think that its staff would be more familiar with its background. This was a whopper of a disappointment for me, because most of the reason for staying at a haunted hotel is to learn its stories. Few staff, if any, could or would answer any questions I had about the place. Some of them outright lied about its ghosts. Despite its glitz and glamour, it has had its darker history as well. During the 1930s (if I was given the correct info), a guest was murdered, and, like so many hotels, it was the site of a few suicides. (Most hotels—particularly the posh ones—face dealing with the death of a guest from time to time.)

Since I live fairly local, doing the research after my stay was a reasonable goal. If the management avoided answering my questions, then I would do the research the hotel's background myself. As I pursued it, the vagueness of what information I had was too tough to overcome. After taking 1.5 hours just to look through five issues of old San Francisco newspapers on microfiche, it was clear that as research for a review, this was more demanding more than it was worth. If I'm going to put that much into the finding information on its story, then maybe I ought save it for a book on the subject. The real question remains is on what basis MSN used to claim this as a haunted hotel. Their feedback link insists they cannot reply to any comments and I was unable to locate a phone number for them.

However, I did manage to acquire a couple of tidbits during my stay there. One staffer said there were reports of a woman dancing around by herself in the Empire ballroom on the second floor, then disappearing. Another employee claimed he has seen a woman walking down a hall and disappearing, but would supply no further details. Was the guest, presumably murdered in room 1422, female? Without anymore confirmed details, people can only speculate.


The bottom line

The Drake currently has 417 rooms to let, including five suites. Check-in time is 3 p.m. and checkout is 11 a.m. It has concierge staff and safety deposit boxes. A business center is on site. Audio/visual services and support are available, along with fax, copy, and delivery. There are 16 function rooms to accommodate groups of up to 350 people. A fitness center that is on the third floor can be accessed by guests from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Drake permits pets, but guests must make prior arrangements for them before arriving. As a historical building, it is excused from the requirement for handicap accommodations and a few short staircases can be found around the entrance.

For those wondering, the experience portion of this review was written shortly after my stay at the Sir Francis Drake. The delay in posting is due to the background research I wanted to do. I fluctuated between 3 and 4 stars quite a bit on my rating, but gave it 3 out of my frustration in not finding anyone to talk about the background of the hotel. Considering how much the Kimpton Group was exploiting the Drake's 75 years of service in promoting the hotel, the fact that no one on the staff knew much of its history was mindblower. A footer banner on its website says "Every hotel tells a story," yet they aren't telling what it is. The lower lobby would have been an ideal place to exhibit some of the relics of its past, such as a Servidor, considering portions of it was just empty store space. In some respect, outsiders can understand the reticence about its paranormal activity, but keeping its history from the staff is poor management and suggests it may still be covering up something.



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*Go to http://local.msn.com/special/archive/hotels_haunted.asp.
 
20 July 2008, UPDATE: The MSN URL has disappeared, but the article can still be found at: http://phx.corporate- ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c= 179948&p= irol-newsArticle&ID= 571315&highlight=. (Please close up the four spaces created to make this URL post. The new Epinions's editing software didn't like the long "word.")

24 June 2011, UPDATE: Over the passing to time, I found the staff is becoming more open to talk about the Drake's ghost stories. If you ask, they may actually tell you a few. I have also since learned they'll show visitors the Prohibition Room, a small room where the management used to store the illegal liquor it sold. It can only be entered through one of the elevators, which needs to be unlocked before accessing the "warehouse."

This is an entry in the 2004 Great Hotel Write-Off, hosted by jdhauer and quasar. It's fun and supports the spirit of a common goal: providing consumers and Epinions with a wealth of consumer information that you can find nowhere else. For more info and to read the entries by other contestants, please go to http://www.angelfire.com/trek/greathotel2004.

Recommended: Yes